


Eclipse

by KarasuNei



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Jack being difficult, Jack is oblivious, Like hella Protective of Jack, M/M, Mention of Reinhardt/Mercy, Protective Gabriel, Slow Burn, Wingfic, Wings, mention of past child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7543015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarasuNei/pseuds/KarasuNei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Blackbird singing in the dead of night<br/>Take these broken wings and learn to fly"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eclipse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [misbehavingvigilante](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavingvigilante/gifts).



> Disclaimer: Blizzard owns Overwatch and my soul.
> 
> This is a fic for my friend [misbehavingvigilante](http://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavingvigilante/pseuds/misbehavingvigilante). Thank you so much for putting up with my weirdness and my crying over this hell we call Reaper76 <3\. I hope you will enjoy this!

                Jack Morrison was seven when he learned to keep his wings tucked away.

 

                At the time, there were laws to protect him, but Jack was born in the rural side of Indiana. There was no protection from people’s prejudices. Not even from his parents. _Especially_ not from his parents.

 

                He ran away from home at the tender age of fourteen and joined the army at the age of sixteen.

 

                He thinks of clipping his own flights often, they are useless with how long he had been keeping them folded away and hidden against his spines. Feathers are always ruffled and unkempt. Muscles soft and weak. His command know, and even they advise Jack to keep the wings away from sight. Commander Wilhelm has been the first person to remain kind towards Jack after seeing his wings. His wife, Doctor Ziegler, has been the second. But Jack knows that even if there are exceptions, he shouldn’t expect anyone else to be the same.

 

                If there is one thing Jack has learned, it is to never show his wings to the world.

 

                Jack hasn’t joined the army because he believes in any cause. He has been only seeking for a safe haven. For the first few months, Jack has been skittish. But here at base, it is expected of everyone to keep their wings folded during duty time and Jack hasn’t stood out as he thought he would. For the first time in his life, Jack feels like he could finally fit in.

 

                Jack meets Gabriel Reyes when he turns eighteen years old.

 

                Reyes is one of those guys that Jack can never stomach. Boastful, cocky, thinking he’s above the rules…Not only that, but the dark man completely ignores orders and flaunts his wings about whenever the slightest opportunity arises. His twenty-foot, pure white flights with specs of gold adorning the insides of his wings. Not only that, but his skin only serves to accentuate the beautiful contrast, and Jack has never seen anyone with wings so fitting to their name. Reyes had a reputation that comes with his looks, he is top of the class and he always comes nothing short of excellent in whatever missions he is assigned. Rumours of Reyes getting to lead a team of his own float about, everyone knows it is only a matter of time before speculations become truth, and it only boosts Reyes’ already inflated ego.

 

                Jack is both irked and envious, which only makes him dislike Reyes more.

 

                Reyes never notices Jack the way Jack notices him, and all has been well for the quiet farm boy. People like Jack enough, he is respectful and soft-spoken, and he makes significant progress during training. He even has a few friends, as Jack would like to think, like Ana Amari from the sniper squad and the youngest pilot in the base, Lena Oxton. Jack is on peaceful terms with most others, and they all leave him be. No-one ever comes close enough to get to look at his wings, however. Nobody ever asks. And Jack is comfortable with this, keeping his wings furled and pressed against his spine. He has his own space, his own quietness, and it is something he was never allowed to have before. For a time, Jack is content.

 

                Until his first mission rolls around.

 

                By this time, Reyes has already successfully led a good number of missions, and Commander Wilhelm thinks it would be perfect to assign Jack, a newbie, under the Latino’s charge. Jack’s excitement plummets straight to Hell at the order. But denying to go on this mission would only get Jack into trouble. So Jack bites his tongue and follows through, not once complains about the matter. His tone is clipped when Reyes asks his name, and never once speaks up during the briefing, his face stony and void of emotion. It is irrational, Jack tells himself, but people like Reyes just rub him the wrong way.

 

                Of course the mission doesn’t go as expected, because the universe just loves shitting on Jack.

 

                The mission is a ruse and they are ambushed, the tiny five-man band are cornered just a mile away from the drop off zone. Everyone is shot or grazed somewhere, but Jesse McCree, Reyes’ second-in-command, is gravely wounded, his sixteen-foot russet and amber wings matted with blood as they curl around his destroyed arm. The lines on Reyes’ jaws are hard and it occurrs to Jack that his first mission might just be his last, after all. Strangely, Jack doesn’t feel at all depressed or even scared. He has nothing to lose, after all.

 

                But the people around him, even if Jack doesn’t know them too well, do.

 

                He charges out despite Reyes’ snapping orders and everyone else’s startled protests, disappearing into the thicket of trees. Gunshots seem to shake the very foundation of the forest and screams echo ominously.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                “What you did back there was pretty stupid, but brave. I’d give you that.”

 

                Jack looks up from his tray and is surprised to see Reyes. He winces at the full, arching display of pure white wings and Reyes’ trademark half-smirk. Jack snorts and goes back to stirring whatever the hell they serve for food today.

 

                “The line between stupid and bravery is thin.”

 

                He is surprised yet again when the other man’s tray enters his line of vision, despite the clipped response. Jack usually sits alone, in a more recluse corner of the cafeteria, unless Lena or Ana are around. Both are in training for this shift, and Jack never finds himself to mind. Lena can be loud and obnoxious while Ana is so picky about things. Jack always welcomes the silence, but it seems like there won’t be any for him today.

 

                “You’re an interesting guy, aren’t you Morrison?” Reyes observes, stirring the glob of food around his plate with a disgusted expression. After a few moments of silence, because Jack obviously doesn’t want to be stupid and answers a rhetorical question, Reyes continues, “The shit they serve here is terrible. Wanna go out and grab a bite?”

 

                Jack’s head snaps up then, not expecting such an offer. But, then again, as he tells himself, he doesn’t know Reyes that well and neither does the other guy know him. Jack shouldn’t be able to foresee whatever is going to come. Though that, for some reasons, annoys Jack even more. Reyes’ ever-present smirk is taunting and Jack has this strange urge to punch this man right in his trimmed goatee and pluck a handful of down out of his perfectly groomed wings.

 

                “Not in the mood to go out today, sorry.” Jack grumbles and shoves a spoonful of the glob into his mouth just to make a point. His wince brings out a full-blown grin on Reyes’ face. Jack glares back challengingly.

 

                “Very interesting indeed.” Reyes drawls.

 

                Since that day, Gabriel Reyes frequents Jack’s table often, with Ana and Lena around or not, sometimes even with his buddy McCree in tow. He is cocky and too much of a delinquent, much like Jack has noticed. But then there are other sides to this man that Jack never knew, that he picks up over the years. Reyes gets grouchy when it’s rainy outside, and he tends to spend more time around Jack on those days, which the latter fully believes only because Reyes wants someone to suffer with him. Reyes is terribly strict when it comes to his duty, never mind his flaunting around during down time, and Jack finally understands why most recruits are either terrified of Reyes or completely idolise the man. There is no room for nonsense in both training and mission for Reyes, and, begrudgingly, Jack has slowly come around to respect this side of him. Reyes is willing to think outside of the box and people listen to him, because most, if not all, of his unorthodox ways work, plus nobody wants to invoke Reyes’ wrath. Not that anyone has seen Reyes lost it before. However, despite his preening and showing off, Reyes seems to have this darkness about him that nobody is willing to test. But Jack has no such qualms. Jack makes it his business to rile Reyes up and pops his fat head. It would potentially drives Reyes away for good, Jack thinks.

 

                It doesn’t work. Reyes has proven to be just as sharp of wits as he is sharp in battle.

 

                And it brings Jack here, sitting grumpily at the corner of Lena’s bunker, actively ignoring the communal grooming session that has been going on for the last thirty minutes. Oxton’s sixteen-foot wings suits her personality, with a solid coat of turquoise and a shocking sunny yellow on the insides, bearing a striking resemblance to a chipper macaw. Ana’s wings are much the same in terms of colours, a beautiful, glimmering royal blue with specs of teal, flight feathers stormy grey and the insides of her wings a pale gold. Reyes and McCree have unofficially joined their small group and they all sit in a loose semi-circle, combing out the tangles of their feathers. Of course, they have asked Jack to join, but he denied immediately, lying through his teeth that he has already done so earlier in the day. Jack has thought Reyes would tease him about this, when the man’s eyes went to him and with his mouth opened, yet not a sound came out. There was this look, a furrow of his thick brows, as if he was concerned, and Jack has snapped his head away as quickly as he could, avoiding the gaze that has his skin prickled.

 

                Jack doesn’t know why he stayed, listening to their idle chattering and watching fingers going through soft feathers. His eyes catches Reyes’ wings more than once. Envy and sadness both well up within Jack. Muttering an excuse about a non-existent report, Jack’s steps are a bit too quick as he retreats from the bunker, his friends’ calling fall to deaf ears.

 

But Reyes’ voice isn’t among them.

 

                That night, locked away in his own bunker, Jack strips himself to the skin and stands there, staring at his reflection. He knows every scar on his body. Those that he has received during the last five years, he remembers with a startling bit of fondness. Training and missions have been rough, but they help him grow. Jack Morrison is no longer that skinny, pale kid from Indiana, but a strong, muscled man that has been honed by the army. The people here have been more of a family to him than his own flesh and blood have ever been.

 

                Jack traces a faded scar below his left collarbone, then another burnt scar on his side. Another over his shoulder, where one of his wings begins…

 

                Jack unfurls them, hissing when the cramped muscles give him jolts of pain. Bones creak and feathers rustle, his wings shake uncertainly after a long, long time of disuse. Jack grits his teeth and stretches them wide, muscles protesting and broken feathers scattering to the floor.

 

                Looking at the mirror, Jack only sees a solid blackness staring back at him.

 

                He has to lean over the sink for support, unable to see any longer. Stretching a hand backwards, Jack traces the newest scar in his own arsenal of marred marks.

 

                “ _El diablo!_ ” The men back there had screamed when he unfolded his wings, scaring them into a panic. Their shock and disorganisation gave Jack a way to break out their meagre squad of five, away from that ambush. It was a victory, and yet Jack felt so empty about it. He didn’t need to understand Spanish to know what those two words mean. It was _nice_ to know some superstitions stay the same no matter where you go…

 

_A Black Bird will never be loved. A Black Bird shouldn’t be allowed to live. A Black Bird is an omen. A sign of Death. Demonic. Misfortune._

 

                A knock halts him from spiralling down into a pit of despair.

 

                Hastily, Jack retracts his wings, biting back a cry of pain at the sudden movement, and throws on a pair of pants before hopping over to open the door. It is safe to say that Jack doesn’t expect Reyes to be standing there. Judging by the man’s raised eyebrow, Jack doesn’t think he expected to be answered by someone in such an unkempt state, either. Jack wants to smack himself when Reyes takes a good look at him from top to bottom, wings twitching. God, he must look absolutely _deranged_.

 

                “What do you want?” Jack ask gruffly, and keeps his eyes glued to the Latino’s face instead of his infuriatingly _white_ wings. A slow grin stretches across Reyes’ face and Jack almost punches him in the face when the man reaches out, _petting_ Jack on the head.

 

                “Relax, _guapo_. Was going to ask if ya want to join us for poker night. But I can see you’re _busy_ in there.”

 

                Jack suddenly flusters and feels completely ridiculous. Whatever he is doing is _his_ business and _not_ Reyes’, _goddamnit!_

 

                “No, thanks.” Jack snaps and slams the door at Reyes’ smirking face. Even through the wall, Jack can still hear the man’s laughter, receding with every step he takes down the hall. Jack clenches his jaws and stares at the mess of inky feathers on the floor.

 

                At least Reyes hasn’t noticed.

               

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

               

                “How can you survive on this kind of food? There’s no telling what it was before it became this runny shit.”

 

                “Can you just _stop bitching_ for once about the food, Reyes?”

               

                “Yeah, when I get some actual food in my system. Your lack of taste buds is appalling, by the way.”

 

                Jack shoots Reyes a very sour look, which only makes the man snicker, “My taste buds are fine, thank you very much.”

 

                “Good luck making me believe that, when you’re shovelling down that slob like a champ.”

 

                “Ugh, would you stop bothering me if I agree to go get some food outside?” Ignoring Reyes’ mouthing “for once”.

 

                And that is how Jack finds himself accompanying a maniacally grinning Reyes to a downtown restaurant. Jack feels a bit self-conscious, it is the first time he has gone outside of base just for the hell of it. Much less with anyone else. For dinner. Sure, Jack has been out for basic necessities and accompanied Lena for a shopping trip or two when Ana isn’t available, but this?

 

                “Aren’t we meeting up with McCree as well?”

 

                “Nah, pulled out at last second, that son of a bitch.” Reyes answers, though he seems far too gleeful for that insult to mean anything. Jack grows slightly wary.

 

                “So just us?”

 

                “Just us.”

 

                Suddenly, Jack feels like a gangly, awkward and scared teenager once more.

 

                It is a bit cliché to be honest, since the place Reyes picked serves Mexican food. The interior is cosy, with warm lighting and simple furniture. There are many decorations about the place, cluttered on the various shelves and fresh flowers at every table. Reyes seems to know it well here, as he confidently strides to a seating, gesturing Jack to sit down and chattering rapidly in Spanish to the waitress who approaches them. Even in here, the idiot flaunts his wings, and Jack rolls his eyes. It’s bad enough that Reyes shows his wings to just about anyone at base, as if they would help him get laid at every turn. Not wanting to watch the other man wooing the nice waitress lady with white-grey wings, Jack inspects the menu instead, somewhat annoyed. It doesn’t come up as a surprise for him when just about everything on the menu sounds unfamiliar. Wrinkling his nose, Jack goes out on a limp and picks one of the easier to understand dishes.

 

                After the waitress retreated, the silence between them is uncomfortable. Or at least to Jack. Reyes is still having that shit-eating grin on his face, tapping his foot to the soft acoustic music in the background and flexing his wings every so often. Jack bets the asshole is having a great time simply because Jack is being so awkward…Jack, even though he tries to ignore it, steadily becomes wistful as his eyes inadvertently catch the perfect pristine flights, gold specs glistening in the lighting. Jack darts his gaze away, desperately trying to come up with something to talk about...

 

                “Huh…never took you for a family type. Are you engaged, Reyes?”

 

                A thick eyebrow shoots up, touching the hem of his beanie, “Excuse me?”

 

                “Your necklace.” Jack immediately blushes, feeling so foolish, and flicks his head at the feather resting at the base of Reyes’ throat. It is dark, black almost, but difficult to tell under the lighting and against the black tee Reyes is wearing. The feather is frayed around the edges, looking quite old, with two beads, blue and red, strung at the stem and hanging by a simple leather cord. If it was possible, Reyes’ grin becomes broader, eyes crinkling around the edges.

 

                “Not exactly. Well, _not yet_ , anyway.”

 

                Something in that sheer happiness and somewhat mischievous look makes Jack uncomfortable, and he attempts to hide it with a jab, “Well, I’ll be. Who’s the unfortunate person that can put up with your attitude, huh?”

 

                “He doesn’t and that’s what makes life interesting.” Reyes chuckles, and there is a certain softness to his tone that makes Jack feel even more melancholic.

               

                Thankfully, after the food came out, there isn’t much to talk about. Begrudgingly, Jack has to admit, this is absolute heaven compares to the stuff they serve at base and the greasy fast food Lena usually picks up. Reyes got a good laugh out of it, almost swiping his milkshake off the table in his mirth. It has been a good experience, after all, and surprisingly so. Jack makes an off-handed comment about not minding doing this again. Reyes’ grin has turned softer, mixing with something Jack can’t read, an almost fond expression, perhaps, but Jack brushes that thought away almost immediately.

 

                Reyes has someone waiting for him somewhere else, why would he want to spend more of his time would someone like Jack?

 

                They walks back to base, content in the silence this time and, for some reasons, Reyes takes the long way around and follows Jack to his door. It weirds Jack out a little, but he doesn’t complain, and when they stop, the awkwardness comes back at full-force to Jack.

 

                “Uh…Thanks, I guess? That was definitely better than the cafeteria food.”

 

                Reyes smiles, wings twitching. He looks like he wants to say something, but halts himself, and his large, calloused hand comes up to brush against the feather at the base of his throat. All the sudden, Jack’s mouth goes completely dry and there was this drop in his stomach that is oddly familiar.

 

                “Goodnight, Jack.”

 

                When he goes to bed that night, Jack can’t explain why there is this warmth in his chest and, yet, disappointment also holds him down like a tonne of stone.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Jack always fucking hates minor recon missions. This one is no exception and perhaps it is the worst one he has ever had yet.

 

                Screw that, _definitely_ the worst one he has ever had.

 

                This time, it isn’t even an ambush or a stray shot that hit him. It was a fucking _loose rock_. They have been simply scaling one side of the mountain to scout. Jack was surprised when Reyes didn’t suggest flying, but the idea works for Jack, so he kept his mouth shut. That, until Jack has a bad grab and falls back-flat to the ground.

 

                The pain explodes through him is nothing short of agonizing, His spine should be intact, but the furled wings must have _shattered_ , having cushioned his fall. Reyes has fluttered to his side within second and, even if it is difficult to tell, he is obviously paled.

 

                “Fuck! Morrison!” Reyes fumbles at the various buckles and safety belts, trying to untangle Jack from the mess, but all it does is giving Jack a muffled shout of pain. Sweats bead on his forehead, and Reyes pulls out the first aid kit, “Hold on. Jesus fuck!”

 

                Fuck, indeed. The mission only includes the two of them, and they are miles away from the drop off point, having hiked all the way here on foot. Doctor Ziegler is not on call today, in fact, she isn’t even at base, not until next week. And Jack needs his wings set. Preferably soon, or they won’t heal right. As much as he hates them, being crippled would be even a far worse fate than being pinioned.

 

                But does Jack want to chance letting _Reyes_ see _this_?

 

                “Wait. _Wait!_ ” Jack’s voice is panicked, and his hand is clammy when he reaches out to grab Reyes’ wrist. Jack’s eyes are wide, watery even, as he forces his breaths through flared nostrils and gritted teeth, “D-don’t! Just…just radio in! I-I’ll be fine!”

 

                “Fuck that shit!” Reyes snaps at him. If Jack wasn’t in so much pain he almost feels like puking, he would have been startled by the sheer ferocity in Reyes’ voice, “Don’t be fuckin’ stubborn, Morrison!”

 

                “T-trust me…You _don’t_ w-want to see this!”

 

                Reyes’ movement ceases, but his wings stretch above both of them, arching into what Jack’s dazed eyes suppose an intimidating pose. And Reyes’ expression turns hard.

 

                “See _what_ , exactly, Jack? That you are a _black bird_? Yeah, I _know!”_

 

                At those words, everything seems to freeze over. But Reyes doesn’t even give Jack the time to freak out. _He slaps Jack_.

 

                “Hey! _Hey!_ Eyes on me, you fucker! I’m still here, aren’t I?” In contrary to his growling, the hand sliding down to support Jack’s neck is gentle. And Jack doesn’t know what he should pick to go into shock first…But then Reyes lifts him up, and the pain from being jostled makes Jack let out another choked cry of pain. He does the next thing out of instinct: Turning and biting into Reyes’ arm. Reyes doesn’t even flinch.

 

                “I’m gonna give you some painkillers, alright?” Reyes’ voice is much softer now in his ears. Pills are shoved into his mouth, and Jack immediately swallows them dry. Reyes curses under his breath, but doesn’t chastise Jack for it. Instead, he starts cutting off all the straps and clothes on Jack with practised movements. Jack makes an incoherent noise in his throat. The drugs have not kicked in yet, but Jack is already addled from all the confusion and pain.

 

                And Reyes has the gall to chuckle, “You’re an idiot, Morrison.” He says, slowly turning Jack around so he can lie on his front on the pile of cloth. Jack just can’t find it in him to protest anymore. He shudders when a large hand is smoothed down his spine, his instinct screaming at him to run and push Reyes away. But Jack can’t. Not when his touches are so gentle. Something that Jack has never experienced in his life. _Not like this_.

 

                A sense of bitter-sweetness consumes him, remembering the feather at the base of Reyes’ throat.

 

                Jack hisses when Reyes’ deft fingers try to coax his wings open. Muscles immediately tense and Jack literally sees stars when his entire body protests at the stabbing pain. Clenching his teeth, Jack forces his body to relax and is surprised yet again when Reyes starts _cooing_ at him. This is definitely the most conflicting and pulled-apart moment in his life…At least the drug has mercifully kicked in at that point, so the pain is receding at least.

 

                Not the one in his heart, unfortunately.

 

                “How did you find out?” Jack slurs. Every stroke against his wings is soothing, despite their broken state, and Jack can’t find the energy to be shocked anymore. Despite his crudeness, Reyes’ touches are so tender…

 

                “I ain’t stupid, y’know…” The man snorts, though his hands never stop their ministration, patiently smoothing Jack’s wings out bit by bit instead of forcing them out in one go, “There are rules about showing wings around base, sure, but _everybody slips_. But not you. I’ve been watching for a while. You either have a deformity, got pinioned or are a black bird. I wanted to know, so I arranged that grooming day with your friends.”

 

                “Huh…I thought Lena did…”

 

                “Oxton _told you_. That is technically different from arranging it.” Reyes hums, seeming so smug with himself when he sets the first broken point, “Seeing the feathers scattered on your floor confirmed my suspicion. And there is of course that one day, on the first mission, too. I understand Spanish, remember? Jesse would have picked it up too if he wasn’t at the brink of passing out.”

 

                Not even painkillers can dull the jab in his chest. Jack curses under his breath for his sloppiness, and the tenderness in Reyes’ touches feels awfully like pity to him. There aren’t a lot of things to do now then, not after this discovery.

 

                Jack will be left behind once more. Commander Reinhardt and Doctor Ziegler only keep his secret because of confidential information rights, not because they feel anything in particular for him. Or worse, babbling this fact to the entire base. At this point, Jack wouldn’t be surprised to find a transferring order when they get back. Hell, _his own parents_ hated him because of the colours of his wings.

 

                And, yet, none of that has been what Jack feels most _crushed_ about.

 

                “Now what?” Jack bites out, bitterness and venom in his voice, in spite of the slurring, “Your curiosity is fulfilled. You got the result you want for all your watching. Are you going to out me? Blackmail me??”

 

                The movement ceases once more, and even when rage is slowly creeping into every fibre of his being to cover all the grief, Jack finds himself dreading the blow that he knows is coming. Or worse, getting his wings straight up ripped off. Why was he so gullible? Just because Reyes spends time with him, is a good leader and takes him out for good food every now and then don’t mean that he is going to be any different. Reyes even admitted he was watching Jack because he was suspicious.

 

                Jack is a black bird, and no one is going to bat an eyelash about a black bird’s fate. That is the one thing that Jack has learned since he was a child.

 

                _But why does it hurt this time?_

 

                “…You really are an idiot, aren’t you?”

 

                “Excuse me???”

 

                Reyes _sighs_. Confused, Jack blinks and is suddenly wracked by a wave of shiver, when wings, _Reyes’ wings_ , brush against his spine. Follows by a chapped pair of lips ghosting on the scar above his shoulder blade.

 

                “Seriously, how many times does a guy have to present his wings around you for you to understand he’s courting you, _cariño_?” Re- _Gabriel_ scoffs and Jack feels rather than hears the puffs of chuckle against his skin.

 

                “Present? Court??? _What??????”_ This is definitely the drug’s effect. There is no way such a thing would be said to him. Jack is pretty sure he is delirious. First, Reyes knows and he didn’t either run the opposite way or hit him for it. And now…Reyes’ saying he has been _courting_ Jack? What lunacy is this???

 

                “I see that in addition to being stubborn, you are also very dense.” Gabriel comments nonchalantly, fixing yet another broken point that makes Jack wince.

 

                “ _But what about your fiancé???_ ”

 

                Silence. This time, Gabriel breaks into complete hysterical laughter. Jack tries to turn around, but a firm hand and a wing on his back keep him in place. Gabriel goes back to setting Jack’s bones, an occasional chuckle still rumbles in his chest, “Oh, Jack…That feather is _yours_.”

 

                “ _What???_ ” Jack exclaims, trying to turn around again to no avail. And then it clicks. “You picked that out of my hair.”

 

                “Yep.”

 

                Jack never feels stupider in his life. So he keeps his mouth shut, his scrambled mind still screaming as it tries to comprehend and piece everything together, all the while listening to Gabriel’s fond cooing. And it feels nice, too, when thick, calloused fingers comb through the tangles of his feathers and groom them carefully. Jack can’t even remember the last time they have been cared for like this. Probably never. And the slight weight of Gabriel’s wings resting on his sides aren’t entirely unwelcomed…

 

                “So, does this mean I can properly court you from now on? Because the cat is pretty much out of the bag. And I really don’t want to just jump you in front of the entire cafeteria next time.”

 

                Warmth explodes in his chest, in a way that Jack never knew was possible. Relief floods his system, and his fingers unconsciously reach back to meet Gabriel’s, who presses a kiss to his knuckles.

 

                “As long as you don’t steal my feathers again…”

 

                There is another laugh, and this time the kiss is placed against his back, where his wings begin, “Promise, _cariño_. As long as you promise to let me groom them. They are beautiful, just as you are.”

 

                This time, Jack laughs, even when his breath is caught in his throat and his eyes sting.

 

                “Promise.”


	2. Sun and Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is Hell will end Well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, let me just give every single one of you a hug. ./sends out a bazillion hugs.  
> This chapter came to be only because of all of your support and love. I would never, EVER have thought the fic would be so well-received! Not to mention the many beautiful fanarts and the inspired fics you guys have done! I just...wow...I have no words for this T_T. So just...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I really appreciate all the support that was given to me!!! I tried to find and thank every artist and writer that has been inspired to write/draw something from Eclipse, but I'm a bit disorientated and overwhelmed by all the love right now, so if I miss any of you, please forgive me ｡ﾟ( ﾟஇ‸இﾟ)ﾟ｡
> 
> So, without further ado, please enjoy this sequel! I hope I won't disappoint!

 

* * *

 

               “…Where is this one from?”

 

                “An accident…since I was a kid. Tried to fly up a tree but fell down.”

 

                Tracing fingers are replaced with lips, and Gabriel let out a pleased rumble as he hears Jack’s breath catches in his throat. Just from a kiss on the elbow.

 

                “And this one?”

 

                “…Ah…Grazed bullet…Third mission.”

 

                Gabriel smirks at Jack’s distracted tone, lips moving up to caress the thin scar. Jack is sitting in Gabriel’s lap, both naked and on the floor, with his legs wrapped around muscular waist, black wings enveloped in Gabriel’s white plumage and joined in the most intimate of ways. It is like a tent, Gabriel thinks giddily, that separates the world outside from _their_ world. In here, it is just the two of them. And Jack is a lot more lax and pliant, not having to be defensive about who he is. Granted, the ray of sunshine is still tense around Gabriel from time to time, but he, _they_ are working around that. Once you got so many walls built up, it gets difficult to let someone in. Gabriel might not best known for his patience, but time he is willing to give to Jack. After all, Gabriel did spend almost three years trying to court this dense little shit…

 

                Slowly, Gabriel is learning Jack’s story, how his life was before joining the army, through the scars marring his body. Jack hasn’t been too open about it, not yet, but Gabriel has been grooming his wings enough to assume.

 

                Rage flares when he hooks his chin over Jack’s shoulder and nuzzles the long, protruding scar just inches away from where his wings begin.

 

                But Gabriel allows Jack’s shudder of pleasure distract him instead, as he smooths a hand over the base of a jet black wing.

 

                “So beautiful.” Gabriel mumbles, marvelling at the contrasts in their colouring, and feels Jack’s cheek heats up against his neck, “Made just for me.”

 

                The whine and the shy nibble on his skin make Gabriel grin. He kisses Jack’s neck soundly and lazily rolls his hips, drawing out a quiet gasp.

 

                How could anyone hurt such a pure, beautiful creature?

 

                Gabriel croons as Jack’s fingers thread and brush themselves against his feathers. The blonde is less hesitant now, daring to explore on his own. When it first occurred to Gabriel that Jack had never been allowed to touch anyone else’s wings as a child and simply carried that habit into adulthood, Gabriel has made it his business to let Jack groom his wings all the fucking time. Given his experience, or lack there off, Jack has been clumsy and didn’t really know where to start. It stirs up the anger within Gabriel, because he would _break_ whoever dared to make his Jack turn out this way. But he also takes pleasure in being able to teach Jack this and being Jack’s first of everything. And Gabriel can’t deny how endearing it is when Jack, with his gun calloused hands, trembles every time he touches Gabriel’s wings, as if they are the most precious treasure to behold.

 

                Of course, the gesture is returned. Jack’s black feathers might be unkempt, but Gabriel would be damned if he said they aren’t the softest things he has ever touched. The solid black gives off the impression of being coarse and rough, but because Jack has been hiding them for too long, the feathers are protected from the ravage of time. Jack’s wings might be under-developed for a grown man, only thirteen feet long, but his feathers are as fluffy as a hatchling’s, and Gabriel soon has the habit of smothering his face into them. Jack’s feathers smell like sunshine, strangely enough, and feel like a frolic among the clouds. After getting a good grooming, they would be glossy like polished onyx and, under a good lighting, would have these mesmerizing ripples like an oil slick on water.

 

                Gabriel would be lying if he didn’t admit he is getting more and more smitten with Jack as they spend more time together. And it isn’t in Gabriel’s nature to deny himself of anything. He indulges himself in the feeling of their wings brushing against each other, only in private at least for now, in every smile and quip Jack sends his way, and, especially, in the fact Jack is now wearing Gabriel’s feather around his neck.

 

                A self-satisfied grin comes to Gabriel. He can feel the necklaces as their chests rub together, the feathers tickling the base of his throat.

 

                “Beautiful sunshine… _Soy muy afortunado de conocerte, cariño._ ” Gabriel grouses, nosing into Jack’s soft hair, rejoicing in every hitched breath, every moan he draws out. He feels keenly Jack’s clutching hands against his back, shaking arms nestling into his feathers and feet digging into his spine, scrabbling for purchase. But Gabriel keeps his pace leisure, simply enjoying this moment with Jack, soft black wings wrapped up in his sharp and thick white ones.

 

                “…You’re…sappy, y’know that?” Jack grunts and let out a startled cry when Gabriel changes the angle of his thrusts, “…A-asshole…”

 

                “But you love me.” Gabriel announces cockily, and laughs when Jack bites onto his shoulder.

 

                Jack isn’t great with showing affection, nor is he good with being on the receiving end. But Gabriel doesn’t pride himself at being observant for nothing. He notices Jack’s unconscious brushing on the feather hanging at his throat every now and then. The picking on the beads, black and red, whenever Jack is nervous. How Jack always angles his stance at briefing so his shoe would touch Gabriel’s. His small smiles whenever Gabriel drags him out for food. How he always watches Gabriel’s back more than his own on the field. How he sleeps best all wrapped up in Gabriel’s wings…

 

                Wings of his colouring are so rare, even with the gold specs, they are the closest to pure white anyone could find. Gabriel is destined for greatness, or so his parents always said. His wings are a sign of wisdom, intuition, ability to see what others cannot, to bring hope and to lead. All his life, Gabriel only ever remembers being loved.

 

                Gabriel is everything Jack isn’t.

 

                Before he met Jack, if anybody told him he would let anyone lie on top of his feathers and ruffle them up during sleep, he would have kicked that bastard’s teeth in. Gabriel isn’t narcissistic by any mean, but getting his wings dirtied or messed up is one of his biggest peeves. But now, Gabriel finds himself enjoying the feeling of Jack snuggling into his down, how Jack’s sun-kissed hair seems to meld in with the golden specs of Gabriel’s feathers.

 

                “…W-what are you…thinking about?” Jack asks between gasps, and Gabriel only answers with a rumbling chuckle. He picks up the pace, and watches in dazed wonder as Jack is tipped over the edge, screaming in abandonment, their wings stretching and pressed flush against each other.

 

                “We should go out and fly sometimes…”

 

                _If only others could how truly beautiful you are…But I want to be the only one who has that privilege._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Gabriel hasn’t wanted to agree to this at first. He and children just don’t mix well. But he sees how Jack brightens at the invitation, and visibly sags almost immediately. Without thinking, Gabriel snatches Jack’s hand under the table and tells Ana Amari that they would both come.

 

                Jack’s smile is _almost_ worth having a birthday brat playing hide-and-seek behind his wing.

 

                “Fareeha! People’s wings are not toys!”

 

                “Sorry, mama!”

 

                Gabriel let out a relieved grumble when Ana rushes over and makes her daughter apologise for the mischief. Not wanting to deal with more squealing, he simply waves them away and turns to glare at a chuckling Jack. The golden boy grins at him and leans back on his elbows, inhaling lungs-full of the clean, fresh air. For a moment, Gabriel is content to just watch how the light plays with Jack’s hair and how he seems to be relaxed out in the open for once.

 

                Fareeha, or _Pharah_ , Amari’s birthday party doesn’t have a lot of children attending. In fact, there is no other children at all. Just a few familiar faces from the UN’s little project, their so-called Overwatch initiative to combat against the Omnic. Which works out quite well for Gabriel at least, because he only has to deal with one little stinker.

 

               Pharah, being only a twelve-year-old, isn’t great at controlling her wing-movements yet. Her flights resembling a falcon’s, with dark slate-grey in her plumage and striking white spots, with the very tips of her primaries black as if dipped in ink. The girl is a lively thing, laughing and smiling without a care, her mother’s and father’s feathers woven into her shoulder-length hair as she skips about the hill. She has gone to Reinhardt, the Commander is more than happy to entertain little Pharah, spanning out his massive twenty-four-foot wings to awe her, with the upper-side a solid black, but underside a startling white with freckles of storm grey.

 

                A picnic has been a nice idea, a chance to get away from the duties and stretch their wings. Lena is doing loops and tricks on air just for the hell of it, whooping at the top of her lungs, bright-coloured wings a contrast against the blue sky. The new recruit Genji Shimada’s trimmed wings are a humble brown-grey on the outside but a beautiful brown-dotted white inside, joins Lena after a few moments, prompting a playful but competitive aerial chase. Torbjörn is setting up lunch, his bright red and silver wings trying to shield the food from being shed on by the two flying idiots. On the other hand, Angela just seems content chatting to Ana, her tapered wings a pleasant transition from daffodil to peach white, soft and lax, as they share a mutual grooming. And Jesse, ever the lazy slop, is openly snoring under his hat, wings and arms eagle-spread against the green grass.

 

                The atmosphere is peaceful and, despite his hesitation about the entire idea at the beginning, Gabriel finds himself enjoying this.

               

                And yet, the melancholy Jack is giving off bothers him.

               

                “Y’know, sunshine, two out of them already know. And the rest aren’t so shallow to just abandon you because of your colour.”

 

                And that smile…That blinding smile Jack shows him as his fingers creep over to lace themselves with Gabriel’s is something he will never forget.

 

                “Just a little while longer. I want it to be just us. Just for a little while.”

 

                At that moment, something breaks within Gabriel, and he couldn’t help but sweep Jack into an embrace with his wings.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Of course, that _little while_ never came.

 

                Having served into their late fifties, Reinhardt and Angela are given mandatory retirement. Their parting party was full of sadness and a sense of foreboding, which even Angela’s motherly reassurance and Reinhardt’s tried encouragement could not chase away.

 

                Gabriel Reyes is placed in the Commander position, but neither Jesse nor Jack has been approved to be his second-in-command. That position has been assigned, to a woman with sleek _purple_ and black-tipped wings, Amélie Lacroix.

 

                Naturally, Gabriel has been furious. His superiors’ smooth, emotionless holographic faces only serve to aggravate him further.

 

                “Mr. McCree has been proven to be reckless and irresponsible as a leading figure. And, as for Mr. Morrison, we have come to the conclusion that his image will not be befitting for what this organization stands for.”

 

                Gabriel’s enhanced soldier fist smashes a hole through their flawless, positively expensive table.

 

                “You are fucking joking me, right?! Morrison worked his ass for this team harder than anybody else! And you deny his this position because he is a _black bird_?! What kind of medieval, backward _assholes_ are you?!”

 

                “We assure you, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Morrison’s contributions to the team will not go unnoticed. He will be rewarded as deserved. But for a public figure, it is expected of him to fulfil certain duties that he is deemed unfit for. Ms. Lacroix is a far better candidate for this position.”

 

                “Bullshit!” Gabriel snarls, his wings unfurling in his anger, instinctively making him appear larger and more intimidating than he already is. “So you would rather have a _Christmas decoration_ than an actual soldier?! Who has saved and is _still_ saving countless of lives out there?! Do you realise that him having black wings and being in such a position can _potentially change the world_?!”

 

                “Potentially.” The monotone set Gabriel’s teeth on edge, “But we are no activists, Mr. Reyes. We do not want to cause a media backlash or more chaos within the people. The people need reassurance, and Mr. Morrison’s image is unsuitable. Do not let your _personal interest_ interfere with your duty.”

 

                _But don’t we stand for Hope?_

_Don’t we stand for Compassion?! Justice?! Harmony?!_

 

                Gabriel’s protests died in a roar as the holograms flickered into statics, the generator being hurled across the room.

 

                His team has been _devastated_ when given the news, not to mention outraged. Even when he is touched that they have been completely on his side even without given a reason as to why Jack is refused, Gabriel has wanted to step down and just leave the operation all together.

 

                But Jack, _only Jack_ , smiles at him.

 

                “Gabe, you deserve this. And the people, they need you. You are a great leader. The position means nothing to me. As long as you lead us, we can save so many more people. Don’t let this be a hindrance to you.”

 

                “It’s _not_ a hindrance! _You_ are not a hindrance!! _God fucking damn it_ , Jack! It’s fucking unfair and you fucking know it!”

 

                “The world has always been unfair.” Jack sighs, running a hand through his sun-kissed hair, his black wings caressing the insides of Gabriel’s, “It doesn’t mean it is not worth saving. I know I am being selfish, but…Take it, please, even if it’s just for me.”

 

                Gabriel could never recall a time when he is so choked and he does the only thing that he can, smashing their lips together in a desperate, searing kiss.

 

                _You have never been selfish…Not when the only thing I have ever wanted to save is you._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                Through the report of Genji’s demise, Gabriel has to give it to Jack for taking it in stride. His mate’s expression is just as stoic as his own, if not more. Perhaps it is because Jack and Genji has never been particularly close. That would have been everyone else’s assumption.

 

                But Gabriel knows Jack far too well, and he is alarmed by the empty look his mate carries in his blue eyes for the rest of the day. Gabriel doesn’t ask, however, and, if Jack notices the Commander’s hands are extra gentle grooming his wings that night, neither of them speaks a word. In the grief of losing a teammate, they can take solace in the presence of each other, at the very least.

 

                That isn’t the case when it is Ana’s turn.

 

                For his entire life, Gabriel knows he would _never_ forget the scream that tears out of Jack. Every feather and hair on his body stands on edge, fearing for the worst. At that very moment, Gabriel decides that he never wants to have that feeling of helplessness again, listening to his mate’s distressed, _tormented_ sound on the other side of the communicator.

 

                They have lost people on the field before. But Gabriel understands why Jack is so shaken. Ana is one of the first to ever have a healthy relationship with Jack, one of his first friends. One of the first to ever show him kindness. Jack is understandably devastated and his age-old shadows begins to surface after years of being silent in their slumbers.

 

                It dawns upon Gabriel that while wounds might heal and scars might fade, the marks are still there, still bleeding under the surface. Jack might have grown from the skittish, innocent farm boy he was, but he has never fully let go of his dark past. And Gabriel makes the stupidest decision in his life: Throwing himself to work so shit like this won’t happen again.

 

                His mistake is severe.

 

                “What’d ye mean _ye don’t kno’?!?!?_ ” Torbjörn slams thick, heavily calloused hands on the table, beard and wings bristling in fury, righteously so, “’Ey be all my inventions! My life blood!!! I put ‘em in yerr care!!! Yerr’ supposed ta be in charge!!! Yerr’ supposed ta kno’!!! I trusted ye!!! How could ye _not kno’?!_ ”

 

                The reports that month have been nothing short of terrifying. Tech and weapons missing, false information filed in, thievery happening under their noses without anyone’s notice…And, judging by the statistic, the ambiguous figures are dated back to at least a _year_ ago. _At least_. Everything is giving Gabriel a headache and, even if the engineer is being in the right here, his yelling strains Gabriel’s already frayed nerves. Judging by his twitching wings, the Strike-Commander is only a hair away from strangling the _dwarf_.

 

                “Torbjörn, please. I’m sure there is an explanation for this…” Jack holds up his hands, trying to defuse the situation desperately, but he is brushed away immediately. Gabriel snarls at this, but Torbjörn doesn’t back down, flaring his scarlet wings up challengingly, and spits.

 

                “I quit.”

 

                Two syllables are enough to fizzle out any trace of anger in Gabriel. Jack goes completely slack. There is sympathy in Torbjörn’s eyes as he glances at the blonde, who has to find support against Gabriel’s desk, but he never looks back when he turns on his heels, slamming the door in a deafening sound that oddly resembles a gunshot.

 

                That harsh noise has Jack spilled on the floor, black wings unfurling in the confine of Gabriel’s office, uncaring that anyone could have walked through that door and see him like this, and curls around himself protectively. As if he could shield himself from reality…The overwhelming shock and grief makes Jack reckless.

 

                The thought strkes fear into Gabriel. And it is only the beginning.

 

                Jack has taken it well, at least on the surface, when Lena hands in her request for a temporal leave. Her normally chipper attitude is faded, her brilliant wings lacklustre and drooping. She hasn’t been well since Ana’s…and the whole incident with the Slipstream is taking a toll on her. It is clear that Lena Oxton, and then entire team, even the new recruits, need a break from all of this. Peaceful enough, she and Jack part with a hug and a promise to return after some time to reconcile.

 

                After that, Jack can’t sleep without Gabriel being nearby. And Gabriel returns the bone-crushing grip just as tightly every night. He notices that Jack starts to hide his wings away once more when they are together. He notices that Jack no longer proudly wears his mating necklace with Gabriel’s very best feather anymore, only the beads are visible atop the layers of clothes and body armour.

 

               And, above all, that _hurts_.

 

               It hurts even more when Jesse decides to up and quit, unable to contain the UN’s bullshit anymore.

 

                “This ain’t what I joined for.” Jesse has sighed that night, before catching a train to who-knows-where. He claps Gabriel on the shoulder, russet wings an eerie reminder of bloodstains in the dim light and his metal arm an aching proof of what they all have lost, “Take care o’ y’rself and Jack, partner.”

 

                The idea of leaving has never been more tempting then. But Jack is stubborn. He argues that they are saving more people than anything, that despite all the shit that was happening, they were _still doing good_.

 

                Righteous, stupid bastard…Gabriel knows he should have listened to his own intuition, to smother Jack into submission and drag him away from all this fucking mess. They could have started a farm somewhere, perhaps even a nest, just for the two of them, forgotten and away from the world, and _live just for themselves_. For each other. But Gabriel yields, just one last time, because he tells himself that Jack is maybe right, that despite the flaws, they are doing something right for the world. He wants to believe, if only for Jack’s sake. Gabriel wants it to be real, because he doesn’t want to see Jack broken. He knows what this means to Jack, to be a Black Bird and to be able to do something good, to _be_ good.

 

               And while Gabriel understands, he disagrees, even just in the confine of his mind. Jack is all that matters. Jack is all that is good. And there shouldn’t be a need for him to prove anything. Not when he has done so much with so little rewards. Jack has his fair share of being beaten up, he doesn’t need any more of this torment.

 

               But yet…Gabriel gives Overwatch another chance.

 

                It isn’t worth seeing Jack on the floor of their bathroom, surrounded in a flurry of his own plucked feathers. Plucked by his own hands.

 

                “What did you do?? _What did you do?!_ ” Gabriel remembers himself shouting, frantically trying to scoop up the precious downs like he could patch them all back, trying to gather Jack into his white-golden wings, trying to search dull blue eyes for that one ray of sunshine he loves so much, trying and not knowing where to even begin.

 

                That one tear _terrifies_ Gabriel.

 

               The one raindrop to stop his sunshine.

 

                _A Black Bird is misfortune. The symbol of Death. The one to pick at eyeballs and peel the flesh off the fallen warriors in battle. A Death Eater. A Black Bird is Fear incarnated._

_A Reaper of Omens._

 

                “We’re done. We’re _done_ , okay?” He smashes Jack into his chest, a rumble of noise escapes him, catches between a croon and a growl, “We’re leaving, sunshine, _we’re leaving_. No more of this. No more. You and I, we’re both _done_. We’re leaving first thing tomorrow.”

 

                Gabriel repeats that like a mantra, until his voice is lost in the quiver of Jack’s wings. He is relieved when he feels the silent nod against his throat, and a victorious, protective growl spills out from his chest as the knot is finally undone.

 

_A Black Bird deserves happiness, too._

 

                Except, that happiness never comes.

 

                When they walks side-by-side and hand-in-hand into the Headquarter the following morning, to hand in their resignations, they hasn’t expected the building to come down above their heads.

 

                There hasn’t been a cliché super villain monologue from Amélie Lacroix, but she does tip her wings mockingly at them before the entire main hall is swallowed by flame and debris.

 

                Gabriel remembers pulling at Jack’s hand, instinctively trying to soar up and take his mate along. A shot rang out in the distance.

 

               Gabriel feels the jolt and knows it is too late even before he looked.

 

               Jack collapses. Slumped down ungracefully, cornflower blue eyes widen in shock and mouth half-opened to let out a shout that never comes.

 

                Gabriel’s world shatters as a burning chunk of the building weights him down, plummeting to his own demise. Even as his beloved white wings burn, Gabriel is heedless of his seared flesh and feather, uncaring of his life seeping away and into the fire. What is left of his strength is used to reach towards Jack, towards the ray of sunshine that is burning away.

 

                Flashes of blue and red swarm his vision.

 

                Even as his beautiful, beloved white wings burn into char in the explosion and his body mangled, Gabriel Reyes’ screaming never ceases until the last breath leaves his body, the image of Jack’s lifeless blue eyes seared through his mind.

 

                The world sinks into darkness. There would be no more Light for Gabriel.

 

                _I couldn’t save you, after all._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                “ _Where is he?!?!?!_ ”

 

                Waking up, hissing and writhing in a mass of shadow and decay, he remembers slamming Angela Ziegler into a shelf of delicate equipment, showering the sanitized floor with glass tubes and devices. What is supposed to be his flesh is either a thickened, tarry ooze or just half-formed smoke. His vision is splintered into many facets, his face a melting mess. He barely hears Reinhardt slamming into the room, thick hands going through the wisp of smoke that is meant to be a body.

 

                None of that matters.

 

                “We…couldn’t…save…him…There wasn’t…anything…left…” Angela manages to choke out, her fingers scrabbling uselessly against the hold, the one thing that was _solid_.

 

                His wail makes her ears bleed.

 

                The doctor is hurled across the room, crashing into Reinhardt as the wraith of a man diminishes in a whirlwind of frigid and suffocating black mist, bare-bone wings a searing image even in the already too-white room.

 

                _Gabriel Reyes is dead. And he buried Jack Morrison with his name._

 

               

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

                A month after leaving Ziegler’s lab, he comes back to _their_ apartment. For whatever part that was alive in him, there is a sliver of hope. That there would be beaming smiles like the sun behind a closed door and wings so black they darken the night to pull him in, never letting go.

 

                The settled layer of dust is expected. And he doesn’t feel as crushed as he thought he would be. Just hollow, inside out. He phases through the wall and glides above the floor, unwilling to disturb the eerie quietness. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up by his own footprints. The apartment is frozen in time. He doesn’t dare to look at the half-packed luggage or the scattered boxes. The load of laundry that is never done and the dishes that have dried ages ago on the rack. The undone bed and the stray feathers scatter about the rooms…

 

                They were never officially married. Not on paper. They planned to, after whenever the leave was. Talks about who to invite was made, if only briefly and in the haze of post-coital warmth. He remembers curling his mate close with his once white wings, cooing into hair that was made of sunshine and honey.

 

                The phantom of pain roars, and he gathers as many fallen black feathers as he could before fleeing the apartment, as if he isn’t the ghost that haunts it.

 

                Later that month, when Gabriel makes his first kill, a man whom he personally trained in another life, one among the traitors that sold out his team, _his Jack_ to the spider, he doesn’t feel a thing. Anything but the need to kill more, to feel blood and stolen life seeping through every fibre of his being. To no longer feel _hollow_.

 

                When he spreads his wings of bones and smoke before those who once shunned and denied his mate, he can’t help but feel the irony.

 

                _Who is the monster now, bastard?_

 

                The next six years goes by in a blur of blood and corpses. He doesn’t remember when the last time he stops killing and plotting for the next kill. They call him Reaper now. A terrorist, they say. It is fitting, for all he does now is hunting down former Overwatch agents, UN officials and Talon operatives alike. A loose cannon, they say. A one-man army that leaves only destruction and empty husks in his wake. A corpse that refuses to die.

 

                Amélie Lacroix, or Widowmaker as they fancy her, still eludes him. Reaper has come close a couple of times. Never enough to put a bullet in her face or to gut her like a fish, though. He imagines it often, ripping out her bloodied wings and listening to her sweet, sweet cries of pain. To take away everything she has like she once did to him.

 

                Vengeance is his drive, the only thing he has left in the world. It puts a throb in his already dead heart. And blood is a temporal balm to his seething soul, or what is left of it.

               

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

                “ _Move it!_ ”

 

                Heavy boots slap against wet pavement urgently, armed guards surround the precious cargos. The dark shadows of the alleyways are ominous, further concealing their movements from anyone that might bear witness. If there _are_ possible witnesses, well, that would be why there are guns involved.

 

                The truck’s engines start with a rumble, cueing the men to pile up after the cargos. The poorly lit streets are empty, and some of them have already snickered about making easy money, that their hirer was a fool to pay so much.

 

                The wisps of smoke have been their only warning.

 

                A hooded, black-clad figure appears from the very darkness they are hiding within, blocking the truck’s path. The men shout, some mocking the idiot who came to die, and ready their weapons.

 

               The clicking of safeties would be the very last thing they ever do.

 

               Two precise shots rang out, more accurate than any of the clowns could have fired, splatter brain matters everywhere. Fear and blood taint the quiet night. Bullets rain into the figure, the sound of lead meeting flesh is sickening. And yet, it does not drop dead.

               

                Wings, made of _smoke and bones_ , unfurl without a sound.

 

               The smog hisses and writhes like a creature released from Hell, filling the cramped alley with the thick, sickly sweet scent of decay. In the midst of screams and gunshots, the _monster_ walks up leisurely, its movements effortless as if it was gliding upon the concrete. Every step is punctured with a shot, picking off the thugs one by one. Terror consumes them, but this demon has no mercy. Those who are fortunate enough to escape death become the most unlucky, as the figure hunches over them and suck out the last of their vitality, through that cold, smooth mask the colour of bone, leaving only dry, empty husks behind.

 

               As only corpses and blood fall beside the truck, the smoke recedes. Bone wings rattle in the cold wind as the figure take note of the cargos before him. They are the same as the ones he has come across before. More money and more weapons. No notable information aside what he already knows. Seems like this attack has been a waste of time…

 

                “I see you still enjoy dramatic flares.”

 

                He shoots at the direction of the voice immediately. The sound it makes announces that the shot was a miss. The rustle behind him triggers a flurry of movements, ricocheting against the walls and the truck.

 

                “ _The fuck_ , Gabe?!”

 

                His useless heart has already stopped beating long ago, but at the one syllable, it _breaks_. He turns, coming face to face with wings as black as the night.

 

                _Fuck_.

 

                “But you _died_.” His already groused voice cracks, “ _I saw you died_.”

 

                Compressed air hisses as the man before him removes his mask. Cornflower blue eyes become visible behind the bleary red of the visor. Sun-kissed hair is now as white as the moon. Handsome face is now marred with wrinkles and scars, but that smile… _that smile_ he would recognise even if it was turned to ash.

 

                _His_ _sunshine_.

 

                “Hey, Gabe.” Jack offers, and gasps when sharp, talon-clad fingers come up to gently cup his face.

 

                “How? _How?!_ ”

 

                “Ana.” Jack let out a small sigh, his own hands cradling Gabriel’s mask, “She wasn’t dead and she was informed of the coup. She and Lena were going to fake our deaths for us, but could only get to me before the entire building came down. Jesus…I thought you were dead, too, you asshole!” A punch is delivered to his shoulder, without any heat at all, “ _Fuck_ , it took ages to track down Angela. And _really?? Reaper?_ Couldn’t think of a better name?”

 

                Gabriel’s rumble of chuckle interrupts Jack’s ranting. The sounds he makes are grating, dry and a lot darker than it should have been, but it lights up that smile that he thought he would never be able to see again. Not when he is stuck between the dead and the living like this. He brings their foreheads together, meeting Jack’s warm, inviting flesh with the cold plane of his mask.

 

                Jack’s black wings flutter, closing in on the bare bones that are left of Gabriel’s glorious wings, and he doesn’t flinch at the frigid wisps of smoke.

 

                And God, Jack’s feathers are still as soft as a dream.

 

                “May I see your face?” Jack asks and, behind at age-roughened voice, Gabriel can still hear the once bashful farm boy he has fallen for, whom he is still in love with.

 

                “Not a great sight to look at anymore, _cariño._ Just like my wings.” Gabriel grumbles, though who is he to deny what is most important to him? Fingers reluctantly retreat from Jack’s cheeks and slowly undo the clasps. Jack seems relieved, but he tries to hide it with a scoff.

 

                “Let me be the pretty one for once, then.”

 

                “You have _always_ been the pretty one, sunshine.”

 

                The range of emotions that passes on Jack’s face has been…both amusing and unnerving.

 

                Jack blushes, blinks when Gabriel’s mask falls away, his eyes widen as he takes in every single detail, the blood then drains from his face. Even under the terrible lighting, Gabriel knows how he looks. Ashen grey skin with patches of flesh missing, blood red eyes that glow menacingly under his hood, a portion of teeth showing through the gaping hole on his cheek.

 

                Blue eyes soften. Gloves are discarded and warm hands smooth over marred skin.

 

                A kiss is pressed to his cold lips, tentative at first, as if testing the water, before all the longing, pain, happiness, sorrow and passion won over. The void within Gabriel roars, having been left hollow for so long, he can only press Jack against the wall and _take_. He let Jack wraps soft black wings around them both, smothering them and blending into the safe cover of darkness. Matching necklaces fall out, intertwining once more as it is their place in the world.

 

                Together.

 

                _All is well. Because this time, I will fly for us both._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Where there's life, there's hope.”  
> ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
> 
> Wings inspiration:
> 
> Reinhardt: Harpy Eagle  
> Angela: Yellow Gouldian Finch  
> Pharah: Falcon  
> Genji: Sparrowhawk  
> Torbjörn: Cardinal  
> Lena: Yellow/Blue Macaw  
> Ana: Kingfisher  
> Amelie: Violet-backed Starling
> 
> Gabriel's last appearance is inspired by [Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Cinematic Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb7QJwQ58T0)
> 
> Once again, thank you guys SO MUCH!!!!


	3. Morning Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am done with the Wing!AU for now, unless prompts are given and unless I kick this McHanzo stuff into gears. Thank you guys so much for the support and I hope you enjoy this!

 

* * *

 

               “And you called _me_ an idiot.”

 

                Jack slaps him in the back and Gabriel couldn’t bite back the loud, rumbling laughter. He earns a glare for his effort, and Gabriel laughs even harder.

 

                “I’m just happy you’re alive.” He grouses, running a hand through black feathers with the same reverent awe that Jack remembers. His wings shudder and relax even further into the touch. 

 

                It has been too long.

 

                Jack sighs and rest his forehead against the crook of Gabriel’s neck, inhaling a share of his mate’s scent. It is different now, Jack notes, as he has noted all the changes in Gabriel’s appearance and doesn’t give a shit. Neither of them are the same now. He can’t expect some things to not change after everything that happened.

 

                “I dug up your grave.” Jack suddenly confesses, face still buried against Gabriel’s skin, or what’s left of it. He feels the stroking on his wings ceased and a cold hand comes to rest against his spine. Gabriel’s bare chest rumbles against his in amusement.

 

                “Doesn’t that shit have this weird ass monument statue thing on top?”

 

                “…Only you would call your own monument that.”

 

                “They totally got the wings wrong. Mine were much bigger than that, with longer flight feathers and majestic ridges! And the gold flecks! Can’t forget them. Also, they didn’t put your grave next to mine, so I just had to go out and shoot the funeral director.”

 

                There is a long pause. Jack lifts his head and gives Gabriel a flat, unimpressed stare. The asshole has the gall to grin at him, “Gabriel Reyes, has anyone ever told you how incredibly petty you can be?”

 

                If it was possible, the corners of his pasty grey lips stretch even wider, showing sharp canines, and his crimson eyes glint mischievously, “In my defence, sunshine, you would be the one to strike such heroic poses worthy of being carved into those worthless stone blocks. Me, I prefer something more _unique and artsy_. They should have made a statue of me eating your ass.”

 

                He doesn’t even flinch when Jack punches him, only laughs louder. Groaning, the old soldier flops back down onto Gabriel’s shoulder, “Absolutely shameful. Aren’t you supposed to be some sort of hero for people to look up to? That statue of yours was holding a _child’s hand, for fuck’s sake_.”

 

                “Like I said. Worthless. I’d rather be holding your d-…”

 

                “Please don’t finish that thought!” Jack clasps a hand over Gabriel’s mouth, only to grimace when the idiot _licks_ it, “God, you’re disgusting.”

 

                “But you love me.”

 

                The familiar words spoken in the same cocky tone, with the same fond kiss pressed to the side of his head, makes Jack’s heart twinge. He winds himself a bit tighter around Gabriel’s naked form, nosing the jawline that he has missed so damn much, and smiles, if not a bit melancholically.

 

                “Yeah. I do.”

 

                They stay like that, flush against each other, savouring the silence in their carved out corner of the world, even if it is within the lousy shack Jack calls a safe house. Skin to skin and never mind the mess they just made after a frantic, almost animalistic bout of desperate love-making, now they are just content basking in the presence of each other, with only the mating necklaces between them. Though, this time, Jack’s wings are the ones to cover them both, to shield them away from the world. In here, underneath the arc of black feathers and white bones, the world stops spinning. It is just the two of them, only _they_ matter.

 

                Jack doesn’t think he has to explain. Gabriel knows. Gabriel always has.

 

                In the dark of that night, Jack smashed the pretty white marbles to bits, frantically digging into the soil beneath. It was sick and pathetic of him, he would probably get shot if he was caught, but Jack didn’t care. He just wanted to see Gabriel one last time. To feel Gabriel’s hands on his feathers one last time.

 

                Jack didn’t know how to describe his feeling when he found the casket empty. There was shock, confusion, anger, disorientation…But above all, there was Hope. That one flicker was enough to put Jack back to his feet, sending him off to find his mate in a journey of six long years. Ana and Lena have been sceptic, but they helped plenty with the investigations. They gave him the tip about Angela’s whereabouts, her and Reinhardt’s lack of appearance at Gabriel’s funeral that raised a lot of suspicions.

 

                Angela was surprised to see Jack, that was for sure.

 

                After they had sat down and swapped stories, Jack wasn’t sure if he was thankful of Angela’s intervention or pissed about it. Not with the way she described Gabriel. Though the knowledge of Gabriel actually being alive overwhelmingly boosted that hope within Jack, and he immediately drove himself into finding the man. Jack wasn’t surprised when he figured out Gabriel was this Reaper entity, but he was worried. This Gabriel wasn’t reckless, he pathed out his plans carefully, but only so that his targets would be eliminated and not for his own safety. Jack followed Gabriel’s path all over the world, frustrated because there wasn’t a way for him to reveal himself to Gabriel without giving himself out to the world, which would be the stupidest thing to do at the moment. The escort mission was Jack’s one lucky break. He miraculously came to the information before Gabriel did, and basically just camped around the area, hoping the other man would show up…

 

                “You think too much, _cariño._ ” Gabriel noses into Jack’s hair, hands smoothing into ruffled black feathers. Jack inhales deeply at the familiar sensation and closes his wings even tighter around them both.

 

                “And you talk too much.” He bites into the greying flesh before him, blanching a bit at the taste, and squeezes his legs around Gabriel’s waist playfully. Gabriel laughs, rocking them back and forth as he nuzzles into Jack’s hair fondly.

 

                They become quiet again. Jack presses his lips to Gabriel’s sluggish, faint pulse, while Gabriel goes back to grooming the expanse of obsidian feathers before him. For the first time since how long Jack can’t remember, he is happy to simply let time flow by.

 

                The world can take care of itself for now. It is funny and quite sad, how long it has taken him to realise this…How much shit they have both been through. There is simply no need to prove himself to the world, not when he has something this important by his side. It has taken fake deaths, a fallen-apart team, a building collapsing on his head, a fallout of a worldwide organization and years of grief for Jack to realise what Gabriel has been right all along.

 

                The world can wait. For now, they have each other.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.”  
> ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

**Author's Note:**

> Because Gabriel is no angel, but he is a Guardian Angel to Jack.
> 
> Visit my tumblr for more Blizz trash: [Nei Karasu](http://neikarasu.tumblr.com/)
> 
> ./go cry in a corner


End file.
